Monday, March 29, 2010

Great Wolf Lodge

We were so excited to be invited to the Great Wolf Lodge in North Carolina this past weekend. They were trying to break the Guiness Book of World Records for the longest waterslide ridden in 24 hours. They beat the previous record in just 3 hours! But we kept sliding for the rest of the 24 to make sure that the record holds for a long, long time!

On the way up, Jack was deep in thought, then shared his insight with us: "Mom- they call it GREAT Wolf Lodge because it's GREAT!" You can't argue with that logic!

We started out at Carowinds (more about that later), and then went straight on over to the GWL. The kids couldn't wait even one second to get in the water, so we just threw our suitcases open, changed as quickly as we could, and headed down to the fun.

Jack and Aidan were vindicated this year because they were tall enough to ride the "big" waterslides and not just the baby one. Of course, outside was rainy, windy, and cold, but that makes no difference with the indoor waterpark! And I can't describe how much I loved not having to worry about sunscreen!

My only problem is that every time we go, we end up with hardly any pictures! We are so busy going and doing and enjoying that we hardly pull out the camera!

In the background of this shot of Aidan, you can see one of my favorite things- the lifeguards!! They are EVERYWHERE! And they never, ever sit down. They are constantly patrolling and watching and correcting. It is the first place I have ever been where I felt like they are actually paying attention and would notice if something went wrong! As the mother of 3 who can almost swim but not quite, that is a nice feeling of backup!

We tried the MagiQuest game this year. Waving the wands at pictures and statues and making their eyes glow and listening to the funny things they say was a total hit. The game- not so much. I think they are just a little too young. We were trying to do all 3 at once, and they just wanted to go off and do their own thing. Not that I blame them! I think in a couple of years when they can read and follow the instructions themselves, it will be a total hit. The 8-15 year olds were running all over the hotel completing quests and having a grand time. I had visions of adults napping in the room while the kids completed adventures and quests! All in good time... :)

The thing I love about GWL is that there is something for everyone. We spent a couple hours one afternoon decompressing in the 'cub club'- toys, puzzles, art projects. I thought they would be ready to go in 10 minutes, but we ended up staying about 2.5 hours in there! They have the Quest game for the older children, a huge arcade, a room for teenagers with internet, movies, music, etc, a spa for adults and another one for kids... oh yeah- and a gigantic indoor waterpark!

And, mirroring our experience last year, they have amazing customer service. Abigail was carrying around a little notebook everywhere we went. One night we were back in our room after dinner, and there was a message on the phone from our waitress- she had found Abigail's notebook, and not only did she save it and give it to the hostess, but she took the extra few minutes to call up to our room and let us know it was there. That small act saved many tears!

"Who cares about breakfast? Get us down to the water!" The in house buffet has a separate section for kids (call me crazy, but I love having adult sections and kid sections!), and they serve cereal at every meal. Brilliant, I tell you.

A gratuitous cute shot of Abigail! Obviously the people at GWL invited us in the hopes that we would rave about our stay and let our friends know all about it, so I feel somewhat biased in writing all these good things- however, I can honestly say that we would rave about it no matter what! It really is one of our favorite places, and they are very mindful of small details that make the stay so relaxing and fun.

On the way home, Jack declared that Great Wolf Lodge was better than Disney World! Now, Disney World is one of our favorite places lately, and Daddy tried to convince him otherwise- "But Disney has this and this and this" Jack wasn't convinced- "Nope- Great Wolf Lodge is better!". I like both, but GWL is definitely cheaper and more relaxing!

OUR CUTE FAMILY

About Me

I am a part time nurse and full time mom to my 3 cute kids- Abigail, Aidan and Jack. I enjoy quilting and traveling, reading, cooking, and home improvement projects. This blog is all about our family and kids. We were married for 7 years before bringing children to our family. We were then blessed with 3 in just 15 months! Our daughter, Abigail, is 8, and twins Jack and Aidan are 7.